Warren leads NC State over Long Beach State 76-66

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- T.J. Warren scored 23 points to lead North Carolina State to a 76-66 victory over Long Beach State Saturday afternoon at PNC Arena.

NC State (6-2) pulled away midway in the second half after Long Beach State (1-9) cut the lead to 50-49 with 12:41 left. A three-point play by Warren, as well as key hoops by Ralston Turner and Kyle Washington, led an 11-2 run to give the Wolfpack a 61-51 lead.

Warren has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 12 games.

Even though the Wolfpack got little from Warren in the first half, guards Anthony ''Cat'' Barber (19 points) and Desmond Lee (15 points) controlled the half. Both players scored 11 points apiece as NC State led 36-29 at halftime.

Long Beach State came out in the second half and outscored the Wolfpack 17-12 in the first seven minutes to cut the lead to 48-46. Mike Caffey scored six of the 49ers' first eight second-half points. But the 49ers went on a horrific scoring drought later with only six points over a 10-minute stretch as NC State pulled away.

Long Beach State attacked the larger Wolfpack inside in the first half. Forward Dan Jennings scored 10 of his 12 first-half points going right at 7-1 NC State Center Jordan Vandenberg and the 49ers scored 14 of its 29 first-half points inside the paint.

Jennings finished with 18 points and David Samuels added 15 for Long Beach State. Caffey had 16 points but struggled from the floor in the first half (1-of-6). The 49ers' nine-game losing streak is their longest losing streak since the 2007-08 season.